Match Preview: FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo

The battle for “El Capitán” heats up MLS Rivalry Week as FC Dallas play host to the Houston Dynamo for their lone league meeting of 2013 on Sunday afternoon in Frisco. FC Dallas return home looking to return to the win column, coming off a late 3-1 loss at Chivas USA last weekend. The Dynamo play their first league game in two weeks, opening the season with a 1-0 home win against D.C. United before being bounced out of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The Dynamo have won the last two meetings between the teams, including a 2-1 win last June 16, the first meeting even in the series at BBVA Compass Stadium. FC Dallas has won once all-time in Houston in 12 meetings in all competitions, a 1-0 victory at Robertson Stadium on May 5, 2010.

FC Dallas last defeated Houston in 2010. FCD went nearly three years and nine games without a win against their in-state rivals, until a win in 2009.

The clubs play for “El Capitán”, the 19th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series by supporters groups for both clubs.

FC Dallas seemed on their way to a second win before Chivas USA roared back with three goals for a 3-1 win Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center.

LAST MATCH

FC Dallas took the lead in the 57th minute. David Ferreira capped a mazy dribbling run down the left flank and through a few Chivas defenders with a stunning right-footed shot from a difficult angle, past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

But Chivas scored their first goal of the season 11 minutes later when Juan Agudelo latched onto a pass, worked his way past defender Matt Hedges in the box and unleashed a left-footed strike that found the back of the net.

Chivas hit for a second in the 76th minute. FCD defender George John couldn’t control a pass deep in his own zone and Oswaldo Minda cleaned up the turnover, buried the go-ahead goal with a right-footed shot past FC Dallas goalkeeper Raúl Fernández.

Chivas USA capped the first victory for new manager José Luis Sánchez Solá when Giovani Casillas cashed in on a breakaway 3-on-1 opportunity in stoppage time, beating Fernández with a calm shot to the near post.

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman made two changes to the team that got the only goal of the game in a victory against the Colorado Rapids at FC Dallas Stadium. Michel started at left back in place of Jair Benitez, and Bobby Warshaw came into the midfield in favor of Je-Vaughn Watson.

FC Dallas appeared like they could be on their way to another 1-0 win before Chivas USA hit back with three goals over the final quarter of the contest.

“It’s early in the season,” FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “I thought that we just got a little bit too wrapped up with the things going on, on the field. I think we were a little bit naive and we’ll get better with that. I thought we were too spread out and the game just got way too open when we had a 1-0 lead.”

FCD was able to put seven shots on target against Chivas, but had only the Ferreira effort in the second half to show for it.

“I think we’re making progress, but [last week] was obviously a step in the wrong direction,” said Hyndman. “We also did some things better than we did last week, so our goal is just to continue to get better and not have the game as wide open as it’s been.”

After missing the first two matches of the season through suspension, Hyndman said Panamanian international Blas Perez will be in the team for Sunday’s match.

“It’s going to be a big help,” Hyndman said. “I think it’s going to give us an opportunity to do some things we’ve been working on whether it’s been with two strikers or simply to have him on the field.”

After being forced off the field in the season opener after just 30 minutes with bruised ribs, Jair Benitez was replaced in the starting lineup vs. Chivas USA by Michel.

“We should’ve condensed the field and made things a little bit more difficult, instead we opened it up,” Hyndman said. “The first two goals were defensive errors which are going to happen, and then the third goal we obviously put everything forward and it didn’t really matter.”

HOUSTON DYNAMO The Houston Dynamo return to league action after a weekend away, opening the new season with a 2-0 victory against D.C. United on March 2 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

LAST MATCH

The Dynamo could have been up by two goals before the halftime break. First, in the 40th minute, Ricardo Clark earned a penalty kick after being brought down by Chris Korb. But United goalkeeper Bill Hamid saved the resulting attempt by Brad Davis and then collected the rebound try from Clark. Then just before the whistle, Korb cleared a Will Bruin header off the line on a corner kick.

But the home side went ahead in the 80th minute when United defender James Riley beat Ricardo Clark to a corner kick -- only to see his attempted headed clearance fly straight into the roof of the goal.

Then Houston doubled the lead in the 89th minute when substitute Warren Creavalle worked to keep the ball alive on the end line and pulled back a pass for Clark to finish with a fierce angled finish into the far corner.

Giles Barnes was given the start in an attacking midfield role, as 10 of the 11 starters in the MLS Cup Final were in the team for the season opener.

The Dynamo not only maintained their all-time home unbeaten record vs. D.C. United, they extended their overall undefeated streak to 26 games in league play, now three games behind Real Salt Lake for the all-time MLS record.

“It was a great way to start the season for a number of reasons,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “We get three points and get to keep the home streak going. You want to start the season with a win and that was a tough opponent we played. It was a great first half and I thought we came out sluggish in the second half. We got it going after a little while.”

Coming on for Brad Davis in the waning minutes, second-year man Warren Creavalle set up the Dynamo’s second goal and recorded his second career assist.

"Good play by him, Will and Brian in the corner. [Warren] came on right away and made a difference for us winning some balls and played some good passes,” said Kinnear. “You want guys when they come off the bench to keep it as is or improve the play with the energy. It’s good to see Warren ready to come in and make an impact.”

Ricardo Clark didn’t receive credit for the opening goal – though James Riley headed the ball away from him for an own goal. But Clark did hit for the second, matching his goal output from last season following his return to the club.

“That’s just him. He is all about energy and covering ground. I think in the first half he was going forward a little too early,” said Kinnear. “If he receiving the ball with his back to goal, it’s not the best for him. Just the amount of work he puts in, he covers as much ground as anyone and that’s the same on a daily basis.”

The Dynamo followed up their league victory by extending their home undefeated streak to 32 games in all competitions in a 1-0 win against Santos Laguna of Mexico in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Brad Davis scored the game’s lone goal in the 89th minute.

The Dynamo then had their CONCACAF Champions League run ended with a 3-0 loss to Santos Laguna in the second leg in Torreón, falling 3-1 on aggregate. Juan Pablo Rodriguez and Herculez Gomez scored five minutes apart in the first half, then Marc Crosas finished off the tie.